Thread feed control for shuttles



July 13, 1965 s. BALUT THREAD FEED CONTROL FOR SHUTTLES Filed Oct. 19, 1961 INVENIOR S'Taphen Ba/uf ATTORNEY United States Patent Shavertown, Pa.

Filed Get. 19, 1961, er. No. 146,132 2 Claims. (Cl. 139-213) This invention relates to thread feed control means for weavers shuttles or loom shuttles.

Feed control devices for shuttles in weaving machines now in use usually employ fur fibers or other similar material in the opening of the shuttle to engage the thread on the bobbin or quill lightly in. brushing fashion to prevent backlash or tangling and consequent knotting of the thread as it feeds rapidly from the quill or bobbin. While effective generally for this purpose, there is a disadvantage to the employment of such material because the rapid rotary movement of the thread as it is pulled from the quill soon either mats the fur or wears away the fiber ends and thus forms a channel which obviously reduces the effectiveness of the thread control. When this occurs, it becomes necessary either to comb the fur back to proper upstanding position, or in the event it becomes too far worn it is replaced by similar fur. Another disadvantage in the use of fur in this capacity is that due to high humidity prevailing usually in weaving plants, the fur fibers adhere to one another and become lumpy, re sulting in either excessive friction causing breaking of the thread, or insufficient friction to prevent thread backlash. The replacement of the fur is a tedious job and involves considerable expense.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide means of simplified nature acting as a brake or retarding means for the thread leaving the quill, which exerts even and constant pressure throughout the length of the quill, insufficient however to cause breakage of the thread, thus positively preventing backlash, and which is of such nature as to be long lasting and exceedingly more efficient than the other means heretofore proposed for the same purposes. Moreover, the device of my invention insures a more even flow of the thread which is rapidly leaving the quill, a decided disadvantage over other devices heretofore proposed for preventing backlash.

In addition to the foregoing objects, the device of my invention, due to its particular construction, permits more thread to be wound on the quill than has heretofore been possible with shuttles provided with other means for preventing the objectionable backlash.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a conventional form of weavers shuttle constructed in accordance with my invention,

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken upon line 2-2 of FIG, 1,

PEG. 3 is a similar view showing the position the parts will assume when the bobbin or quill is empty of its thread,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 taken upon line 44 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing how the brake member contacts the bobbin thread, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged elevational view showing the contact between the auxiliary brake and the bobbin surface.

3AM Patented July 13, 1%65 Referring now more particularly to the invention, 7 indicates a conventional weaving shuttle provided with a quill 8 having an abutment 9 at one end by which it is clamped in position within the opening lit? in the shuttle in the usual manner. The quill or bobbin 8 has wound thereon the thread indicated at 11 which is drawn through the guide 12 at one end of the shuttle as the latter rapidly moves back and forth in the usual manner.

The thread feed control member of my invention comprises a flat body or strip of flexible resilient elongated and preferably compressible material indicated at 13. This material may be polyethylene or any other spongy material such as foam rubber, latex, etc., which may be flexible in all directions as well as compressible so as to tend to spring back automatically to its normal flat position. This body has one of its fiat faces covered with a thin fabric 14 such as silk or any other close woven material and which possesses a slick, smooth unbroken surface. This covering is adhered firmly throughout the length and breadth of the compressible strip so as to flex and bend with it. The brake member thus formed is glued or in any other desired manner firmly aihxed along one of its longitudinal edges to the side of the opening it? so as to project at substantially right angles thereto and adjacent to the opening in the shuttle through which the bobbin or quill is introduced and assumes the position shown in FIG. 1. This brake member extends from one end of the quill to substantially its opposite end and is of such breadth as to extend beyond the longitudinal center of the quill when the latter is locked in proper position within the shuttle. In this manner, it is obvious that when the loaded quill is inserted in the shuttle, the slick surface 14 of the covering material is engaged with the thread wound upon the bobbin and conforms to any irregularities which may be present in the wound bobbin, and also engages with the end of the quill or bobbin itself as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 3. It is therefore evident that as the thread 11 is rapidly withdrawn from the bob bin in a clockwise direction it engages the surface of the fabric l land suihcient resistance is offered to prevent any tendency to kink or knot; the flexible body 13 exerting only sufficient pressure against the thread throughout the entire wrapping on the quill to prevent any such tendency but insufficient to cause breakage of the thread. As the thread continues to feed and thus reduce the diameter of the loaded quill, the resiliency inherent in the body 13 follows this reduction in the diameter of the loaded quill with an even pressure until the thread is entirely exhausted from the quill and then engages the latter as shown more particularly in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

It sometimes occurs that knotting will take place adjacent to the extreme uncovered free end of the quill and to prevent this an auxiliary braking means is employed. This is shown more particularly in FIGS. 1, 4 and 6, wherein the body of the auxiliary brake is indicated at 15; and it comprises a body of material (similar to that indicated at 13) disposed transversely within the opening it in the shuttle and in normal contact with the exposed quill end. This body 15 i provided at its outer edge with a curved surface 16 having a covering 17 of the same material as that which constitutes the covering 14 for the strip 13. Therefore, as the thread tends to whip as it passes from the bobbin adjacent to the exposed end thereof, it will engage and ride upon the curved surface of the auxiliary braking device and will be lightly impinged between said surface and the exposed end portion 8 of the quill.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that an even uninterrupted flow of the thread from the shuttle is insured without danger of snarling or knotting of the thread and insuring a constant and even pressure upon the thread suflicient only to maintain against snarling or knotting but insufiicient to cause breakage, As the thread is drawn from the bobbin, undulating surfaces in the remaining thread may occur, but the character of the strip 13 is such as to conform'to such undulations or irregularities and thus maintain the constantand eventension upon the thread as it passes to the free end of thequillt The body 13,- with its attached fabric facing14, may be glued or inany other desired manner removably secured within the opening in the side of the shuttle. Due. to the width'of the support strip 13 being greater than the distancev from the axis of the bobbin 8 fromtheinner surface .of the open? ing, a substantial portionof the surface of the smooth unbroken material 14 will engage the :bobbin thread inwiping contact therewith. 'The fabric covering for the body'mernbers -may be a made, as' heretofore stated ofclose woven silk or nylon:

which is tough and exceedingly wear-resistant yet presents a smooth slick surface against which the bobbin thread engages'and is heldin loose yet firm contact against the 7 surface of. the bobbin thread or the bobbin end itself, thus adequately preventing snarlsin the rapidly moving thread bobbin with one of its longitudinal edges reniovably' se-v cured to one of the Walls%'defining'said-opening-i thewidthf of said trip being greater than the distance ,frorn the which lead to knotting. This material is long lasting,' yet may be treated with materials Well known in the art for i a additional toughening without detrimental eifect upon its flexibility. They may be preformed in quantity to permit In the present instance, theseelements are illustrated as 7 being glued orin any other. desired manner firmly affixed to the wall of the shuttle, but, if desired, may be permanently attached to a wood or metal base to fit in a recess or socket in the wall of the shuttle to facilitate ready removal or attachment.

I claim: 3 V

1. The combination with'a loom-shuttle having an opening adaptedtoreceive ,a threaded bobbin, of a re-= ready replacement as defects or damage may require. a

movablefeed control member in said openingasaid re-' movable feed control member comprising a substantially fiat and relatively thin strip of flexible and resilient material having'substantially' parallellongitudinal edges; a

threaded bobbin in said opening; said strip being disposed in substantially coterminous parallelism with said threaded aforementioned walliof saidropening to, the longitudinal axis of said threaded bobbin;'and,a coveringsecu'red to said "strip (and adapted for contact 'v vith the threaded 4' area of said-threaded bobbinjzsaid c'overingbeing' sub? stantially coterminous .with' said strip) throughout-its; length and breadth. and presenting'a'smooth exterior SUI? to the curved outer, surface of, said body pf flexible and resilient material; saidlast -named covering being substantially coterm-inous with the curved outer, surface ofr 'said body of flexiblerand resilient-material and'havinga smooth exterior surface in contact with the ,free 1 end of said threaded bobbins-, V

ReferencesCitedby theExaminer v DONALDVW; PARKER, Prima'ry ma. RUSSELL'C; M D mEx mima;

2.5 The combinationioficlaimyl together; withjan aux-1 iliary member comprising a body of flexible. and resilient material providing anrouter surface! which is curved from 2 end to end; said body ,of sflexible and resilientrmaterialgg being secured.to,.,thewall of the openinggin said loom-,4, shuttle which is opposite the .walljto 'which'the hat and relatively thin; strip is'j secured; and a covering ,secured' 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A LOOM-SHUTTLE HAVING AN OPENING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A THREADED BOBBIN, OF A REMOVABLE FEED CONTROL MEMBER IN SAID OPENING; SAID REMOVABLE FEED CONTROL MEMBER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT AND RELATIVELY THIN STRIP OF FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL LONGITUDINAL EDGES; A THREADED BOBBIN IN SAID OPENING; SAID STRIP BEING DISPOSED IN SUBSTANTIALLY COTERMINOUS PARALLELISM WITH SAID THREADED BOBBIN WITH ONE OF ITS LONGITUDINAL EDGES REMOVABLY SECURED TO ONE OF THE WALLS DEFINING SAID OPENING; THE WIDTH 